Author: J.C. Kuang

Standalone 6DoF represents one of the most important criteria distinguishing high-end VR from other mass-market headsets. However, as 6DoF becomes the norm, what is the next technology that OEMs will race to incorporate? As the window for Oculus to formally announce its new standalone 6DoF headset grows smaller, it will be important for consumers and VR practitioners to examine how interaction with virtual environments will evolve with the next generation of hardware. Below are three potential technologies to replace 6DoF as the new differentiator of high-end standalone VR: Body tracking Current 6DoF technology extrapolates tracking data from IMUs mounted...

Q2 '18 marks the decisive end of VR's first hype wave among consumers and industry professionals. After pop culture failed to energize audiences on the concept of VR, the industry currently finds itself crawling out of a trough of disillusionment. Now more than ever, a solid long-term strategy will be crucial for VR companies who intend to reach the next wave of adoption. Below are three critical priorities for attracting customers and maintaining ecosystems in the immediate future of the industry. Channel Surfing As with any burgeoning technology, VR has a relatively small but vocal community of early adopters,...

The next generation of XR headsets are significantly better equipped to drive immersion via use cases outside of gaming. New standalone headsets, which continue to populate a growing VR market, are thrusting consumers into new and unfamiliar territory. Use cases outside of consumer VR's original stomping grounds, gaming, are becoming more and more viable. Social giant Facebook envisions its growing hardware and software ecosystem as a gateway to more social experiences. Microsoft's initiatives for the next generation of Hololens indicate a confidence in the future of immersive tools in enterprise. This is in spite of recently axed plans to implement...

Hearables represents a compelling potential branch of augmented reality hardware which affords users granular control over their sensory experience, via hearing instead of sight, as is the case with traditional AR.

Kicking off this year’s Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara, SoC giant Qualcomm revealed a major new addition to its product line. Dubbed the XR1, the new chipset has been purpose-built to power XR applications, foregoing cellular antenna components to make room for graphics rendering, spatial audio, and IMU processing. Alongside leadership from Qualcomm, various OEMs such as HTC, Vuzix, and Pico announced their intent to build for the XR1 platform, promising both revamped hardware and ecosystems that would leverage the power of the new SoC. In the years since mobile VR began its steady growth, Qualcomm has enabled...